


Don't Cry For Me

by orphan_account



Category: Merlin - Fandom
Genre: Arthur is über sweet, Damaged Merlin, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Torture, Worried Arthur, romantic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-01
Updated: 2014-09-01
Packaged: 2018-02-15 16:01:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2234961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin is kidnapped by bandits while on a hunting trip with Arthur, who will not rest until he finds his servant again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Merlin was gone.

They had been attacked on their way back home, it was just a simple hunting trip, and they were ambushed. The last thing Arthur saw before the bandits left was one of them carrying his servant away.

"Merlin!" He had cried in a very non-prince-esque manner. His cry was full of desperation, and what for? It was just Merlin, his simple, idiotic servant.

But it was also Merlin, his best friend, who was kind, compassionate, and, sometimes, very wise. 

"Merlin!" He cried again, but the bandits were completely gone.

Why had they taken Merlin instead of him?

oOo

Morgana was the first to notice Arthur's arrival. Gwen was standing behind her, styling the ward's dark tresses. 

"Is that..." Morgana asked, noticing the figure stumbling towards the palace steps.

"Arthur?" Gwen finished, dropping the lock of hair she was holding.

"Gwen, that's Arthur!" Morgana cried, rising from her chair.

"Is he alright? He doesn't look alright." Gwen observed.

"What happened?" Morgana wondered aloud. 

"We'll need to find out ourselves." Gwen said. Morgana nodded and, with Gwen trailing behind her, left the room in a hurry.

"Arthur!" Morgana said, meeting him on the palace steps. "Are you-"

"They've got Merlin." Arthur said, his voice urgent. "Morgana, they've got Merlin."

His face was covered in cuts and bruises, blood stained his blonde hair. Morgana leaned him against her shoulder and began to guide him inside.

"Gwen, go get Gaius, and alert Uther." Morgana said. Gwen nodded and ran inside.

"Come inside, Arthur." Morgana said, trying to calm her voice. "We'll see what we can do about your injuries."

"They've got Merlin." Arthur repeated. "They've got Merlin, they still have Merlin."

"Who has Merlin?" Morgana asked, throwing the door to the palace open.

"Arthur!" 

Morgana turned her head; Uther and Gaius were running to Arthur, they looked as worried as Morgana felt.

"Arthur," Uther murmured, kneeling beside his nearly-unconscious son. "Oh, Arthur..."

"Mer...lin..." Arthur murmured. "They've got Merlin."

"The serving boy?" Uther asked, then, looked at Gaius, asked: "What can we make of this?"

When he spoke, Gaius's voice was grave. "It seems that Arthur was ambushed, and they took Merlin with them."

"Merlin..." Arthur murmured. 

"Take him to his chambers. Gaius, you'll see to him?" Uther said, looking at his physician.

"Yes, my lord." He said.

"Merlin, they've got Merlin." Arthur murmured.

"Hush, Arthur. You'll be alright." Uther murmured.

"They've...got...Mer..."

oOo

Merlin's eyes opened. The first thing he noticed was the blinding pain in his shoulder, and the less extreme pain in his wrists. The pain in his shoulder, he discovered, was caused by a gash, stretching from his collarbone to his forearm. His wrists, the wrists that were bound with tight rope, were bleeding. 

It took him a moment to observe his surroundings, there was so little to observe. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all made of stone. It wasn't unlike the dungeons in Camelot, but there were no windows.

The memories came rushing back to him. Arthur had cried for him as he was carried away, he tried to use his magic-

"Good morning, sleepyhead." A cold voice told him.

Merlin looked up. A woman, a cruel looking woman, stared down at him. Her brilliant green eyes stood out in the darkness, her vibrant red hair was like an ember, her cheekbones were almost as sharp as the blade in her hand. She was beautiful, but in the most monstrous way imaginable. Merlin shuddered.

"They told me that you serve Prince Arthur." She said, kneeling so that they were face to face. She stroked his cheek. "And the two of you are...friends."

Merlin was about to reply when she grabbed a fistful of his hair and yanked him closer.

"But no friend would leave you to rot, would he?"

She released him and began to walk away from him.

"We know how faithful Arthur is to you." She mused. "Now, how faithful are you to him?"

"What do you want?" Merlin asked.

"Information." She said, pressing her blade into his chest. "And I'll do anything to get it." She added, dragging it through his flesh.

oOo

Arthur woke to the smell of freshly laundered sheets and blood.

His eyes opened. His father was sitting beside him, dark circles lined his eyes. 

"Father?" He croaked.

"Oh, Arthur..." Uther sighed. "Are you alright?"

"Am I..."

"You were ambushed, Arthur. You should rest."

The memories came back to him all at once.

"Father, they've got Merlin!" Arthur said, his voice stronger. 

"Arthur, the serving boy-"

"My friend-"

"Arthur, you can't be too concerned with him."

"But-"

"Arthur," Uther said, his voice stern. "This is out of your hands now."

Arthur tried to reply, but tiredness kept him from doing so.

"Rest, Arthur." 

The next time the prince woke, someone else stood above him.

"Are you alright?" The voice asked.

"I need to find Merlin. I need to leave soon." Was Arthur's reply.


	2. Chapter 2

"How could you remain loyal?" 

Merlin winced as the whip collided with his back. He had been counting the lashes.

Twelve, thirteen...

"When he left you?"

Merlin had been under the woman's torture for three days, surviving on water and stale bread. The only thing tying him to reality was the blinding pain. On the first day, it was the knife. Then the fire, and now the lashes. Merlin didn't know what they wanted, they never asked.

"Especially with that pesky magic of yours..."

Merlin cringed. He thought she wasn't watching, he just wanted to loosen the ropes, which were cutting into his wrists so deeply...

"And Uther Pendragon would have you killed anyway. Why do you serve his son? He left you. He doesn't care, you freak!"

Merlin felt a sob rack his body. That sob was followed by another.

"Arthur!" He cried. "Arthur, please!"

"How cute." The woman drawled, swiftly kicking him in the ribs. "Tomorrow, you will talk."

For the first time, she cut the rope from his wrist.

She left him alone.

Merlin fell to the stone floor and folded his knees to his chest. Then he allowed himself to openly sob, to cry out for Arthur to come save him.

He heard shouts coming from outside his prison.

"Arthur Pendragon is nowhere near these lands."

"No!" There was a scream of rage, the woman was screaming. "No, he must come for this pathetic servant-"

"Ella," a male voice said. "Ella, he might not have made it back to Camelot."

Merlin gasped. The sudden movement caused pain to shoot through his entire body. Arthur was gone?

Even the possibility of Arthur dying wanted to make Merlin sob even harder.

He would do anything to know that Arthur was alright.

Closing his eyes, he let an image from his dreams carry him away.

"Merlin!" Arthur cried. Merlin stumbled towards him.

"Arthur," he choked out. "Arthur..."

"Merlin," Arthur repeated, catching Merlin just before he collapsed. "Oh, Merlin..."

Merlin leaned against Arthur. His touch was gentle, he had nearly forgotten what a gentle touch felt like.

"Arthur, I- they-"

"Hush, Merlin." Arthur said, his voice soft. "They're not near you anymore. I'll keep you safe."

"But...why?"

"Because, Merlin...I love y-"

"Wakey Wakey, freak." Ella said. 

It was time to start again.

oOo

Arthur felt the red kerchief, something he had found on his search for Merlin. It gave him hope, though he wasn't sure why it did.

"Hold on, Merlin." He whispered. 

Persuading his father to allow him to go after Merlin wasn't a simple endeavor. 

"You can't go, Arthur." He said. "You're still weak, and eventually, you'll find another servant."

In the end, it was Gaius who persuaded Uther to let Arthur go. He didn't use words, he didn't even mean to persuade his king. While Arthur was proposing his journey, he was accompanying his father to Gauis's chambers. The door was open slightly, and the sight that awaited Uther must have softened his heart. The physician stood in his chambers, holding one of Merlin's kerchiefs. Silent tears fell from his eyes.

"It must be like losing a son." Uther murmured.

"He was more of a father to Merlin than his real one was." Arthur didn't know much about Merlin's father, but he did know that he had left or died when Merlin was still a baby. 

Hours later, Uther allowed Arthur to find his servant. The prince went alone, despite his advice to bring along his knights. Arthur needed to do this alone.

Arthur's first few days turned into a week. His week turned into two weeks. Over those two weeks, the prince grew more and more desperate.

"Where are you, Merlin?" He asked the sky. "Merlin, please, if you're alright, I'll never say another cross word to you. Please, sweetheart,"

Sweetheart? His mind asked. Since when is he more than 'idiot?'

"...please be alright." He whispered.

Instantly, a scream split the still silence.

"Merlin..." He breathed. "Merlin!"

oOo

"He never cared about you!" Ella screamed. "Why do you endure for him? He would kill you if he could, if he knew that you're a freak! That's what you are, a worthless, sorcery-practicing freak!"

Merlin's world was swirling around him. The pain was dulled, his thoughts switching from dream to reality. 

He was dying. He knew that he was dying. He would die without ever seeing Arthur again. 

Arthur. Arthur swirled about in his mind, he could see his handsome prince, his blue eyes, his smile, his voice...

"Merlin..."

Arthur's voice...

"Merlin?"

His voice....

"Merlin!"

Merlin's eyes opened.

Ella lay on the ground, there was a bleeding wound in her chest, just between her collarbones. Arthur stood above her.

"Merlin," Arthur breathed, kneeling beside his servant. "Oh, Merlin..."

"Are you...are you..." Merlin started to ask.

"I'm here, Merlin. I'm here."

oOo

Arthur's stomach lurched.

Merlin, who was once whole and happy, lay in a heap of torn clothing and torn skin at his feet.

"What did she do to you?"

Arthur glanced over at the table in the corner. The table was covered in weapons, things that she must have used to torture his servant.

"Arthur," Merlin croaked. "Arthur, are you-"

"Hush, Merlin. You're alright now, I'll keep you safe."

"She said you didn't care. She said you didn't want me because I was a freak and-"

Arthur brushed Merlin's tear-stained locks away from his forehead. As gently as he could, he pressed his lips between Merlin's eyes.

"I care. I want you. You're not a freak. I am going to protect you."

Arthur scooped Merlin off of the ground and carried him from his prison.

In the sunlight, Arthur could finally see the awful things that had been done to his servant.

Nearly every inch of his skin was covered in bruises, or stained with blood protruding from new-looking cuts. His back felt slick. Arthur didn't feel like looking at it just yet, he felt sick enough already.

"Arthur," Merlin asked. "Is this real?"

"Yes, Merlin." He assured him. "I'm here."

oOo

Arthur's touch was so gentle, more gentle than in any of his dreams. After nearly three weeks of constant torture, Merlin internally rejoiced when held in gentle arms.

"What did they want?" Arthur asked.

"They didn't ask anything. They just wanted..." Merlin sighed. "I don't know."

"They didn't ask you for anything?"

Merlin shook his head.

Arthur took a deep breath. He knew that now, he had to do the thing he had been dreading.

"I'm going to look at your injuries, alright? We should know what we're up against."

Most of Merlin's shirt was in tatters, so stripping it away was hardly difficult. Arthur was not prepared for the sight that awaited him.

Nearly every inch of his torso was decorated with a cut, bruise, or, in the worst cases, a burn.

And his back...

"Are these...lashes?" Arthur asked quietly.

Merlin nodded.

"Oh, Merlin..." Arthur sighed. He felt tears welling up in his eyes. "I'm so sorry, Merlin."

"Arthur..."

"I should have been there." He said, tears streaming down his face. "For you. I should have...could you ever forgive me, my sweet Merlin?"

"Arthur, please don't cry, I'm fine now-"

"You're not fine, though. This happened to you."

Merlin's response was cut off by a series of shudders. He suddenly felt cold, despite the warmth of the Spring day.

"Merlin?" Arthur asked. Merlin continued shivering.

The prince quickly shed his cape and wrapped it around Merlin like a blanket.

"We need to get you back to Camelot."

Cradling Merlin against his chest, Arthur quickly began their journey home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah, it's moving quickly. You can blame my impatience for that. But thank you for all of your feedback! You're all so lovely!  
> Please comment, darlings!  
> Love, Carlie


	3. Chapter 3

The sun was setting. Arthur was still a day's ride from Camelot. He feared Merlin wouldn't make it, but he couldn't risk riding at night.

"Arthur?" Merlin murmured. "Have we stopped?"

"Just for tonight." Arthur answered. "We'll be back in Camelot tomorrow. Just try to rest, Merlin."

Arthur quickly built a fire and set Merlin beside it. He wrapped his cloak more snugly around Merlin's slender shoulders, and placed a blanket over him.

"Are you warm enough?" He asked. Merlin nodded.

Seconds later, the quiet sound of Merlin's steady, even breathing filled the otherwise silent air.

Arthur looked at his servants pale, injured face. Something seemed to wake inside him, something that had been making itself known over the last two weeks.

Arthur began to wonder of he was in love with Merlin.

"Merlin," he whispered, running his fingers through his dark hair. "Could you ever love me?"

Arthur almost lost Merlin. He had almost lost the one he loved, and now, he had a second chance. 

"I won't let you go."

Arthur continued stroking Merlin's hair as the sunset turned to twilight.

Suddenly, Merlin's eyes opened, his pupils dilated in terror.

"No," he murmured. "No, no, stop, please stop..."

"Merlin, sweetheart, are you alright?"

"Please don't hurt me, please, I know, he doesn't care, he doesn't care-"

"Merlin, Merlin, wake up! It's a dream, it's only a dream, they can't hurt you anymore-"

"Arthur, please!" Merlin screamed. His voice echoed against the night sky, the words decorated with sobs. "Arthur, help, please..."

"Merlin, please, my love, wake up! I'm here now, I'll keep you safe..."

"Arthur..." He breathed through sobs. "Are you...are you there?"

"Yes, Merlin, sweetheart. I'm here, I'll keep you safe..."

Arthur gently wrapped his arms around Merlin and pulled him closer to his chest.

"I'll protect you, Merlin. They can't hurt you."

"They said that...that you didn't care...about me...that you left me to die..." Merlin sobbed.

"Why would...why wouldn't I care about you?"

"Because of the...the magic..."

"Merlin, what are you talking about? What magic?"

Merlin murmured something. The flames of their fire changed, the sparks formed a flying dragon.

"Merlin, you have..."

"I'm so sorry..." Merlin wept. "Please, Arthur, don't hurt me more than...than they did."

"Hush, Merlin." Arthur said soothingly. He was surprised, but the confession didn't change his feelings. If anything, it filled him with a fierce desire to protect Merlin from anyone else finding out, namely his father. "I won't hurt you. And neither will anyone else."

Merlin was shivering again, this time from fear.

"Merlin, I won't let anyone hurt you. I will protect you."

"But I..."

"That doesn't matter." Arthur said sternly.

Merlin was still shaking. Arthur lay down beside him and wrapped Merlin in his arms. There were scars visible between his shoulder blades. Arthur pressed his lips to the red wound.

"I love you."

Another kiss.

"I'll protect you."

Two kisses on a particularly nasty scar.

"Nothing can touch you now."

Merlin folded into Arthur, stealing all the comfort he would from the warmth and strength of his body.

"I swear, sweet Merlin, I'll protect you."

Merlin smiled when Arthur kissed his cheek. The smile remained until he fell asleep again.

oOo

"Merlin!"

"Arthur!"

Both Gaius and Uther called for their sons at once.

"He's wounded. Badly." Arthur said.

"Arthur, you've got a-"

"Never mind that." Arthur said. "Gaius-"

"I'll see to him now." Gaius said.

"I'll get someone to bring him inside." Uther offered.

"No, father, I'll carry him in." Arthur insisted.  
Uther asked him why he wouldn't allow Merlin to be carried in by anyone else while Gaius worked.

"He was in my arms for the entire journey. I didn't want him to be confused." Arthur explained.

Uther nodded, though he didn't really understand.

Arthur paced in front of Gaius's door for hours after finally releasing Merlin to the healer's care. Uther occasionally wandered to that wing of the castle, hardly believing his son's devotional behavior.

"You should rest." Uther said on one of his visits.

"No, father, I need to stay." Arthur insisted again. 

Uther sighed.

"Will you at least eat something? You look dead on your feet."

"Father-"

"Arthur, what is going on? You seem-"

"It's my fault he's like this. I was the one who left, I was the one who couldn't find him..."

Arthur's eyes filled with tears. "It's my fault, I nearly killed him..."

"Arthur," Uther said, "Arthur, it's not your fault, you did all you could, he's alive now-"

"But...in that state..."

"Arthur, we've had knights survive much worse. Men have been cut to ribbons and they've survived."

Arthur's stomach turned at the phrase "cut to ribbons."

"Come join me for dinner if you wish." Uther said. "Please, Arthur, don't hate yourself." He granted Arthur a rare kiss on his forehead before leaving the room.

Arthur did not go to dinner. The evening faded to night and he remained in front of Gaius's door.

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is the first chapter. This is the first multi-chaptered work I've created on this site, but not my first Merthur fic. I hope you enjoyed this, and thank you for reading, my dears.  
> Love, Carlie


End file.
